Authors Notes: This is a continued fic! If you haven't read the other parts of the fic then your kinda not going to understand anything. Everything starts at 'Unready Guardian'

Please read and review

Smoke and Ash:

Rift Wars

Chapter 1

No hope

"The city is in pure panic. These new female nindroids don't care who you are, what you are. They're killing everyone! Get out of the city. Run!" Gales voice yelled into the camera as the sky line around her showed burning buildings and many different black dots lining the skies.

"They have black hair, red eyes, black wings. If you see one run...for the love of god run they won't show you mercy! Where are those ninja?!" She gasped and ducked out of the shot and the camera went to static.

Inky never thought she'd be in this building again. The printing press. Actually she tried so hard to forget it existed. But here she was curled up in Cryptors lap. He had snatched her away upon entering the building. She felt a lot better being home again. She even had her own clothing on. But they were dirty now. They had landed Rex in the construction site throwing a tarp over it like all the other machines. So everyone thought it was just another construction vehicle.

Cygnuses mood had changed a lot now that he was completely off the black matter and even his colors had changed. Inky had nodded her head and looked around the room. The ninja were sleeping not to far away from them. Jays arm protectively around Nya, Kai on her other side one arm under her head. She loved the look of them.

Something made a noise and everyone shot up and looked around. Ronin and Lloyd ran toward the noise and looked out into the graveled parking lot. The peaked out seeing a few kids run by.

Inky felt Cryptors grip loosen from around her. She looked up at him. He looked down at her and sighed.

"Well might as well start the day." He stood up setting her down. Inky looked around when Mindroid tapped her shoulder. He motioned for her to follow him. She took his hand and they walked out to a water fosset near the side. It at least still gave clean water. She splashed some on her face and took a few sips of the water as Mindroid stood watch.

"Its so strange bing here and not hearing the noises from the press." Inky told Mindroid he beeped a few times. She didn't speak droid but she knew he was telling her to hurry. She picked up the bucket and filled it with water before bringing it inside. The others did as she had done outside. It was sort of her chore as the others watched them. It would seem the Hornets weren't allowed to kill children. Or at least they were told not to. They weren't sure why, although Inky had a suspicion that she was the reason why. So she and Mindroid would leave and get the stuff and bring it back for the others. She felt someone pick her up and carry her over to the area where the breakfast was made. She was used to being picked up and walked around now. She had no shoes on so that was their attempt to make sure she didn't have bloody feet. Today it was Cole who picked her up. She sat down and looked over the sandwich she had been given. Nothing could be cooked so mostly everything was unrefrigerated. Inky took a bite and watched as the others made their sandwiches.

"They there kid how you doing?" Kai asked sitting down across from her. Inky smiled up at him.

"A lot better thanks." She said. Kai smiled ruffling her hair. She was sure the dusty floor did wonders for her hair. It probably looked just as bad as theirs did. She took a deep breath after she finished her sandwich. She had a long list of things they needed to fetch today before coming back. Hopefully today she'll at least find some shoes. She looked around at Mindroid who looked around at her and nodded his head. She ran over to Cryptor and looked up at him. He knealed down pulling his cloak around her and smiled.

"Stay safe. Stay close to Mindroid he'll take care of you. Do not approach any of those Hornets." Cryptor said Inky nodded her head and pulled the cloak closer around her front. Mindroid stood at the door and motioned for her to stay behind him for a moment. She crouched down and waited for his signal. He looked around for a moment before gesturing to her to follow. She ran forward and took his hand. They kept to the shadows and looked around at the corners very carefully. Eventually they got where they were going which was a small market where they had been picking through the cans. Inky put a few into her pack and pulled it on again. Mindroid walked over with some oatmeal, rice, and flour.

"But Uncle Min we can't cook...We have no oven." She said and watched him smile holding up a rice cooker. She giggled and nodded her head. She would be thankful for just one bowl of rice. She hadn't had any in four months. She sighed and sat back against the wall. She was rather thankful for her time with them. But she'd spent more time with Cryptor and his family then she had her own new parents.

"Would...Uncle Cryptor keep me forever if my parents don't come back?" She asked her eyes looked on at the cookies on the shelf. She heard a whistle which normally meant hey look at me. She turned her head to watch Mindroid take her hands in his and look up at her. She took a deep breath. She shook her head almost trying to explain what she had just said. " I'm just scared of being thrown away again." She said and cleared her throat trying to cry. She walked away from Mindroid and looked over the shelves again. She looked across the street seeing a shoe store. She looked at Mindroid who was looking over the chips. She looked both ways and ran across the road. She looked over the shoes and pulled a few down pulling on some socks and pulled on the shoes and smiled. They fit and they were two sizes bigger then when she had bought shoes before. She stood up to leave, but their was someone standing in her way. Her heart skipped a beat their was a hornet standing in front of her. Its dark black hair cut short, its black wings standing above her, the red eyes glaring at her.

"Designation." She pointed her arm at her. The power crackled to life. Inky felt her heart skip a beat.

The fist came out of nowhere slamming into the femmes head. It did it twice more before she hit the floor. Inky had been knocked to the ground by them both. She scurried to her feet and she ran toward the back of the store. She saw both yellow and red shots being fired. She curled into a little ball and shivered as she listened. Eventually after a few moments she felt a gentle hand on her back. She slowly looked up feeling someone turn her around. The hands searching over her form for any problems. She shook her head and looked him in the eyes. Both his hands resting on her cheeks forcing her to look up into her eyes. A sorrowful whistle came from his vocal processor. Her cheek had been charred by the charged blast from the hornet.

"I didn't know you could fight like that." Inky said and slowly stood up. Her eyes looked down at the Hornet that was in hundreds of pieces. Mindroid wanted to make sure it didn't follow them back to base.

"She looks just like them."

"What do we do?"

"Lets hit her with a pipe see if she's alive."

"Dude do you wanna die?"

Dannys eyes opened and she looked around seeing a few kids sitting near her. She turned her head toward the voices. They all screamed or laughed as they left the room. Danny just cracked a smile. She looked around almost panicking she couldn't see Zareth. But the arm around her chest squeezed her protectively. She looked up to see Zareth who looked down at her and wink.

"Just a bunch of kids. Don't worry about'em." Zareth said. Their was a bandage around his head. She looked back around when she heard a laugh coming from the hallway. An old man walked into the room. A cane in front of him clicking the floor as he went.

"Don't mind them. Their parents are either missing or dead. They attacked so suddenly no one had time to run. But they for some reason aren't killing children or old people which leaves me to watch over the ones that I find. Names Dunkin." He said holding out his hand. Danny was about to shake his hand but Zareth held out his hand to him.

"Your pretty protective of that dame." The old man said. Zareth nodded.

"She's my sister."

"Ah I see. So she's not one of these Hornets they keep telling us about?"

"I am...but I'm not with them." Danny said to him. The old man nodded his head and looked around at the stove as the kettle began to whistle. He poured it into a tea pot and put it down on the table.

"Theirs not much, but you are welcome to it till you are well enough to leave the house. Then I suggest you find your own way. I'm sure your family is worried." The man put a plate of toast, and jam down for them. "Sorry we haven't got any butter. But we make due with what we have." He said and started to walk back down the hall.

"Thank you Dunkin." Danny said slowly sitting up her hand on her chest.

"You okay? Want me to…?" Zareth began.

"No no...I got it. I need to start getting my strength back. We need to stop these things." Danny said and looked up at Zareth. "I remember...everything now. I know how to stop them. We've got a lot of stuff to do."